MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina confirms fisheries policy towards Falklands

Argentina's Fisheries and Aquaculture Under secretary confirmed that companies operating in Argentine jurisdiction without Argentine licences, particularly in the disputed Falkland Islands waters will certainly be sanctioned.

Gerardo Nieto in an interview with the magazine Pesca & Puertos, said that according to the "applied concept", these companies must be considered "companies illegally operating in our (Argentine) jurisdiction".

Under this reality, "we're looking to sanction those vessels operating in Argentine jurisdictional waters, such are the waters in dispute with the United Kingdom and which definitively must come under a very specific analysis", added Mr. Nieto.

However, undoubtedly "we are certain that it is sensible to look into sanctioning these vessels which are illegally fishing in Argentine jurisdiction waters".

Mr. Nieto was asked if, given the latest resolutions from the Federal Fisheries Council (CFP) regarding companies which fish on both sides of the South Atlantic with Falklands and Argentine licences, could this be interpreted as the accumulative drafting of a new policy regarding the Falklands issue.

Apparently several of the companies which have been "caught" in this situation and are questioning the validity of the CFP resolutions, plus alleging "discrimination" and a change in the "rules of the game".

Mr. Nieto also revealed that Argentina which has adhered to the international plan to combat Illegal, Unregulated, Unreported Fishing, is preparing its own complementary National Action Plan (PAN) applicable to domestic and international fishing vessels.

"The plan is in the final stages of approval by the Federal Council, so we should be publishing the illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing resolution very soon", said Mr. Nieto.

The Argentine official was also enthusiastic about this season's squid catches, which should be three fold last year's, above 200.000 tons.

"Squid is showing a strong recovery; it's very positive and closely linked to a set of management measures such as the number of vessels, catch areas and changing the seasons' opening dates".

Further on Mr. Nieto anticipated that a similar approach with the hubbsi hake has enabled a significant recovery of the fishery, and that a similar maximum catch is expected for next year's season.

In 2005 and 2006, the maximum catch for hubbsi hake was established in the range of 380.000 tons.